Drew is a foreign exchange student from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. His columns will document his adventures in the 505 and the differences he finds in American pop culture.
by Drew Lyness
Daily Lobo
Having left Britain almost six weeks ago, I have settled comfortably into my stay in America and, if popular theories are to be believed, I am well clear of all symptoms of culture shock.
Anyone who has ever traveled will tell you it is rarely the big differences that affect you. They are the ones you are prepared for. Foreign money, language and climate all take getting used to, but at least they are an expected part of moving to a new country.
The small cultural idiosyncrasies
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are what really make you feel a million miles away from home. Small changes in day-to-day life seem insignificant, but in
reality, they are among the hardest parts of adjusting to a new culture and way of
living.
I believe in order to gain an accurate taste of a new city, you must first gain an accurate taste of its nightlife. In the short space of time I have been in Albuquerque, I have learned more about the city through conversations in the bars of Nob Hill than any guidebook could provide.
Maybe it is a sad reflection of Western society, but after a drink or two, people open up a bit, and night spots can provide some of the most educational forums you will ever find.
Upon learning I was to spend my year as an exchange student at UNM, one of the first things I did was look on the Internet to see what the nightlife had to offer.
There are several striking differences when compared to my university at home.
Though I would not dare pass judgment on the somewhat flawed drinking regulations in operation around the UNM campus, the notable absence of a bar or club in the student union does raise a few interesting issues.
In Britain, as in most of Europe, the student union is a central focus of university life and usually contains a number of pubs and bars.
Drinks are subsidized for students, and on rare occasions, professors have even been known to teach classes over a pint or a glass of wine. Of course, there are a number of pros and cons to this system, and it is needless to say Thursday nights on campus in Britain are not the easiest places to get to sleep.
However, without any real provision for nightlife on the UNM campus, I have found students have to look a little further for their evening entertainment, which presents a number of difficulties in terms of safety and transportation.
The city in which I go to the university at home caters to pedestrians. It is well-lit with a reasonably effective 24-hour bus service.
However, for the student with a friend who is willing to carry the mantle of designated driver, there is some fun to be had around Albuquerque, and the more lenient licensing hours make for a very relaxed atmosphere.
Some of my favorite places around UNM are Stella Blue, which has brilliant music, and the Monte Vista Fire Station, which has a great student night on Tuesdays and best replicates the feeling of a union bar at home. Downtown also has some popular student haunts, particularly Burt's Tiki Lounge and Maloney's, but you do have to be mindful of how to get home.
Consequently, nights out in the town of Albuquerque take a bit more planning than they would back home. But once this is decided, I have learned it is still possible to have a good time.
